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WE CAUGHT UP WITH LUMIA TO TALK ABOUT HER CREATIVE PROCESS, PRACTICE AND PROJECTS.
SZADE ; WHEN DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER PHOTOGRAPHY WAS YOUR ‘THING’?
LUMIA ; Around age twelve. One thing led to another, and all of a sudden I’ve found myself where I am today.
SZADE ; HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO DEVELOP YOUR AESTHETIC AND CONCEPTUAL PRACTICE?
LUMIA ; I learned how to create meaningful work in college, which I graduated from back in May. I’m still exploring my style.
SZADE ; WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOUR OWN WORK, AND IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE?
LUMIA ; I think that I am particularly good at capturing the energy of the subject.
SZADE ; YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO TAKE TROPES AND TRENDS AND CAPTURE THEM IN A COMPLETELY FRESH WAY, KIND OF SUBVERTING THEM AND BRINGING AN ELEMENT OF THE UNEXPECTED. HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR OUTLOOK AND ‘EYE’ ON THE PULSE?
LUMIA ; Taking photos is a physical experience for me - I press the shutter when it feels right in my bones. I always do what I feel and I’m never striving to make my work look a particular way. Thinking about what a photo could look like while I’m shooting is disastrous to my process. I just want to capture what I experience.
SZADE ; YOU’VE WORKED ON SOME AMAZING PROJECTS FOR THE LIKES OF INTERVIEW MAG, OYSTER, MIAOU, URBAN OUTFITTERS ETC. JUST TO NAME A FEW. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE PROJECT YOU’VE WORKED ON SO FAR?
LUMIA ; I don’t think the images I made for Interview would have been possible without having shot the Miaou campaign, and both projects have revealed to me my growing interest in making images of women in urban landscapes. I would say those two are my favorite at the moment.
SZADE ; YOU’RE ALSO A GUN BEHIND AND IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, HOW DID MODELING AND YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A MODEL INFLUENCE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY PRACTICE AND HOW YOU APPROACH YOUR SUBJECTS?
LUMIA ; I feel that my experience as a photographer has influenced my experience as a model more than the other way around. If anything, as a photographer, I’m extra conscious of the model’s feelings when we’re on set. This awareness developed naturally. That being said, I believe that having this awareness is the responsibility of every photographer, regardless of their modelling experience.
SZADE ; WHAT WOULD YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM PROJECT BE AND WHO WOULD YOU LOVE TO SHOOT (ANYONE DEAD OR ALIVE), AND WHY?
LUMIA ; I want to capture today’s woman, especially young female artists - it makes sense to me that I portray a subject I can relate to. I strongly believe that capturing the culture of current time is the photographer’s responsibility. That being said, I am a collector of vintage Juicy Couture tracksuits, and I dream of shooting the contemporary woman wearing Juicy in 2022.
